Various Methods to Feed Young Squabs

[Pigeonpal2002]

The Balloon Method:


For those of you who ever have or find the need to use an alternative method of feeding young pigeons, this is an EXCELLENT method to feed young squabs. It's more messy, but it's a more "natural" way to feed a young chick with little chance of aspirating or harming the baby like through conventional tube feeding, eye droppers, or other methods. Here are the instructions and photo:

"This involves slicing the thin tip off a syringe (a 20ml should be fine for a 2 week old squab), filling the syringe with formula and taping something over the mouth of the syringe such as a piece of cloth, stretch bandage or a piece cut out of a balloon..

You cut a cross (X) in the fabric and steer the pigeon’s beak into the hole. The squab will start to gobble the food as you depress the plunger gently to pump more food in, mimicking the way the parent feeds his squab. Make the Kaytee a bit thinner than recommended as it thickens in the crop. Feed until the crop is noticeably inflated but not hard. Like a ¾ hot water bottle. I think that for a 2 week old squab that would be 30ml per feed, 3 times a day going up to 40ml per feed when they are 4 weeks old."




*Picture and Instructions courtesy of Cynthia (Cyro51)*

[Feefo]

LOL, Brad you just beat me to it. John helped me create a step by step guide which includes Mary's advice on quantities. It is here:

http://community.webshots.com/user/cyro51

If anyone can suggest corrections or improvements I am all ears.

Cynthia

[Pigeonpal2002]

Hi, Sorry Cynthia...

I emailed you about getting permission to post this thread but I figured you wouldn't mind. Your link is PERFECT and shows step by step exactly what to do. This is wonderful! Thanks and sorry for not waiting for your reply.

[Feefo]

I don't mind at all, Brad, I am really pleased I am just tickled by the fact that we were doing exactly the same thing at the same time!

Cynthia

[Lin Hansen]

Brad and Cynthia,

Bravo!!! This is going to be so much easier than hunting up the information in the "2 hatchlings" thread. Good thinking.....both of you.

Thanks
Linda

[demi]

Am I supposed to be able to do this with 5 day old squab?

He is still very jerky and spastic.

[maryjane]

And here's my favorite method with step-by-step instructions (similar to balloon method):

http://picasaweb.google.com/awrats3333/BabyFeeding#

You can use a piece of cloth instead or a rubber glove, if you like.

[re lee]

60 cc cahter syringes work great Also come in 30 cc You can get them at many drug stores. They have about a 2 to 2 1/2 inche extended end which can be placed down the throat and Feeding is extra fast. Works well for any bird 5 days old to weaning. You adjust feed amount to age Any time i ever hand fed I used chick starter made a mush out of it you can either heat water add stater or add water and stater heat in microwave And cool to a warm mix make it soupy as It digests better. They did not used to have a fomrula for any pigeons before . Then when you are feeding 1 to 5 day old birds You can boil and egg take the white of the eggs and a small amount of water smash the egg white to form a milk It will then work great. Years ago they said egg whites used like thins was the closest thing to pigeon milk So I tried it to see how well it worked And it worked great. No days you can order this and that But chick starter and eggs are found local And will do the job great. Thought I would Mention this.

[Maggie-NC]

Robert, I appreciate reading your tip about the egg whites.

[Freddy Valdez]

hello anyone out there can you tell me what the mix is or the name of the formula

[sreeshs]

This is something which I found over the internet and had saved to my computer, I have never tried this, so expect someone experienced enough to comment on the same

MacMilk©: Crop Milk Replacer Recipe


1 jar (71 grams) strained chicken baby food
1 raw egg yolk (16.6 grams)
1 tablespoon low-fat yogurt (15.3 grams)
1/4 teaspoon corn oil (1.13 grams)
0.62 g calcium carbonate
2 drops cod-liver oil (from gel cap)
1 drop vitamin E (diluted 1:10 in corn oil; see notes)
2 drops fish body (omega-3; not cod liver) oil
1 small pinch vitamin B complex (see notes)
25 mg. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)


Method: Mix all ingredients in a blender. Keep the diet in the fridge, taking out and warming only as much as you need for one feeding.

NOTES
For birds 1-3 days post-hatch:
It may be necessary to dilute the mix a little more, particularly if they are not being kept at high humidity. It’s essential to add a small amount of feces from a healthy adult conspecific; the younger the bird, the more urgent this is. Add it to two feedings per day. As soon as it’s added, consider the food contaminated; discard any leftovers and clean all implements thoroughly. No digestive enzymes need be added to this mix.

In nature, young columbids are fed small amounts often, by their parents. The ‘nursing’ bouts are long in duration. They should NOT be tube-fed, but instead need to ‘work’ for their food by sucking. The process is very reminiscent of mammals suckling, and their chances of survival are much higher if they are fed in this natural manner.

At the end of the first week post-hatch, gradually add a highly digestible grain (be sure that it contains the proper amount of calcium and vitamins) to the food. It must be fully hydrated! E.g., if you’re adding baby cereal or Exact, make a ‘cereal soup’ with water (at least 2 parts water to 1 part cereal/Exact by weight) before adding it to the MMM. Add only a very small amount for the first couple of days, and then at a rate (e.g., 10% per day) that will make the food mostly grain by the end of 15-20 days. Fledglings must be supplemented with hand feedings for as long as they beg (this can be up to 6 weeks or so), even if they are also eating on their own. Weigh them regularly until they’re completely weaned. A high-quality (companion/exotic) finch seed mix is a good choice for self-feeding. Be sure that they have ‘pigeon grit’ (a multimineral grit) and oystershell grit available ad lib.


Vitamins: Vitamin E, as purchased, is too potent for what is required in this diet. Mix one drop of vitamin E (from a 400 IU/ capsule) with 10 drops of corn oil. Shake or stir well. Then, use 1 drop of the diluted vitamin E in the recipe. The remainder can be kept in an airtight container and stored in a cool, dark place. It can be used over the next few days. Because vitamin E degrades, it will have to be mixed fresh after a few days, so don't make too much at once. The amount of B complex required is too small to weigh on a gram scale. The amount required for this recipe is a pinch the size of one or two sesame seeds.


Astrid MacLeod and Janine Perlman, 2004©.

Another articles on the same

http://www.auspigeonco.com.au/Articles/Handrasing.html

http://www.pigeoncote.com/vet/feedbaby/feedbaby.html

Also read in some page about using diluted "Exact Hand-Feeding Formula for baby Macaws" for pigeons, but these are all references which I found over the internet, again, I have never tried any of these myself.

Hope this helps

[TAWhatley]

Originally Posted by sreeshs

This is something which I found over the internet and had saved to my computer, I have never tried this, so expect someone experienced enough to comment on the same

MacMilk©: Crop Milk Replacer Recipe

MacMilk works very, very well for young doves and pigeons. It's just a bit more work to make it than mix some powder with water.

Terry

[TAWhatley]

Originally Posted by Freddy Valdez

hello anyone out there can you tell me what the mix is or the name of the formula

Many of us use Kaytee Exact Hand Feeding Formula (http://www.kaytee.com/products/exact...-baby-bird.php) There are several other brands such as L&M, Lefeber's, and Roudybush, but I have the best luck with Kaytee for baby doves and pigeons.

Terry